Psalms 34:11

34:11 Come children! Listen to me!

I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord. ¹ 

Proverbs 4:1-2

Admonition to Follow Righteousness and Avoid Wickedness ² 

4:1 Listen, children, ³  to a father’s instruction, ⁴ 

and pay attention so that ⁵  you may gain ⁶  discernment.

4:2 Because I give ⁷  you good instruction, ⁸ 

do not forsake my teaching.

Proverbs 5:1-2

Admonition to Avoid Seduction to Evil ⁹ 

5:1 My child, ¹⁰  be attentive to my wisdom,

pay close attention ¹¹  to my understanding,

5:2 in order to safeguard ¹²  discretion, ¹³ 

and that your lips may guard knowledge.

[34:11]  ¹ tn Heb “the fear of the Lord I will teach you.” In vv. 13-14 the psalmist explains to his audience what it means to “fear” the Lord.

[4:1]  ² sn The chapter includes an exhortation to acquire wisdom (1-4a), a list of the benefits of wisdom (4b-9), a call to pursue a righteous lifestyle (10-13), a warning against a wicked lifestyle (14-19), and an exhortation to righteousness (20-27).

[4:1]  ³ tn Heb “sons.”

[4:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “discipline.”

[4:1]  ⁵ tn The Qal infinitive construct with preposition ל (lamed) indicates the purpose/result of the preceding imperative.

[4:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “know” (so KJV, ASV).

[4:2]  ⁷ tn The perfect tense has the nuance of instantaneous perfect; the sage is now calling the disciples to listen. It could also be a perfect of resolve, indicating what he is determined to do.

[4:2]  ⁸ tn The word לֶקַח (leqakh, “instruction”) can be subjective (instruction acquired) or objective (the thing being taught). The latter fits best here.

[5:1]  ⁹ sn In this chapter the sage/father exhorts discretion (1, 2) then explains how to avoid seduction (3-6); this is followed by a second exhortation to prevention (7, 8) and an explanation that obedience will avoid ruin and regret (9-14); finally, he warns against sharing love with strangers (15-17) but to find it at home (18-23). For an analysis of the chapter, see J. E. Goldingay, “Proverbs V and IX,” RB 84 (1977): 80-93.

[5:1]  ¹⁰ tn The text again has “my son.” In this passage perhaps “son” would be the most fitting because of the warning against going to the adulterous woman. However, since the image of the adulterous woman probably represents all kinds of folly (through personification), and since even in this particular folly the temptation works both ways, the general address to either young men or women should be retained. The text was certainly not intended to convey that only women could seduce men.

[5:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “incline your ear” (so NAB, NRSV); NLT “listen carefully.”

[5:2]  ¹² tn Heb “keep, protect, guard.”

[5:2]  ¹³ sn This “discretion” is the same word in 1:4; it is wise, prudential consideration, careful planning, or the ability to devise plans with a view to the best way to carry them out. If that ability is retained then temptations to digress will not interfere.